Spring is always celebrated in this blog. Very much like nature that starts to come to life after a winter-long hibernation, baseball teams come back to life in new forms and shapes with a mix of old and new faces. And, like the rebirth of perennial flowers, baseball teams are given a new life and a new start for the upcoming season with zero losses. It in an extremely hopeful time of the year in the life of anyone who likes baseball. And it is something to look forward to when the January temperatures are approaching digits they should not be approaching...
I have been covering the Twins' Spring Training from Fort Myers and remotely for the last few seasons, and the upcoming season will be no exception. Here is what to expect for the 2014 Twins' baseball coverage in this space, starting shortly:
I have been covering the Twins' Spring Training from Fort Myers and remotely for the last few seasons, and the upcoming season will be no exception. Here is what to expect for the 2014 Twins' baseball coverage in this space, starting shortly:
- Three Guides to Twins' Spring Training: A guide on the logistics (how to get there, where to stay, etc) updated from my experiences last spring, a guide on the Spring Training facilities and Hammond Stadium, updated for the Hammond Stadium renovations, and a food guide. Last year's logistics' guide is here, baseball guide here, and the food guide here. These guides will be up by early February the latest, so they can help planning.
- In depth analysis of the battles for roster spots, utilizing tools like the Spring Training Dashboards that help visualize individual performance throughout the Spring and keep tract of the roster moves as well. This will be interesting this year, since there will be a battle for the 5th rotation spot among 3 players without options (Deduno, Diamond, Worley), plus there are a lot of new (and new/old) faces who hope for a roster spot, making the Twins' bench a work in progress to be assembled in Spring Training.
- In depth reports on games and players from there, both major leaguers and minor leaguers, including scouting reports, and hopefully new insight on players, like indicating that Baxendale looks like he might have a monster 2013, when a lot of people never know who he was, that Kevin Correia might be serviceable and have an ok season, when there was collective lamenting about his signing in 2013, and that (in 2012) Scott Baker looked in a lot of pain in his first start back, while the general feeling was that he was ok and ready to get back, before his operation.
- I do make a point to have a look at as many Twins' minor leaguers as possible; this translates into first hand scouting reports and a prospect list. I would have a hard time making a prospect list if I did not see most of them play.
- Lots of pictures of Twins' players, including action pictures.
- Hope springs eternal in the human breast;
- Man never is, but always to be blessed:
- The soul, uneasy and confined from home,
- Rests and expatiates in a life to come.
- -Alexander Pope, An Essay on Man
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